Alexandra

It is all in the question. Just wondering, do you think democracy is always the best and most effective way? Are there some situations where having a dictatorship is better? Or any other alternatives you can think of?

What do you think about America fighting for "democracy" when in reality they just want power and do not care if when they leave they transform a country to Muslim extremists - as long as they obey the USA?

For my new job, I need to wear an abaya. Where can I buy a good one? I checked in Mall of the Emirates - they cost about 1,000AED per piece. Is that the normal price? I can also go to Abu Dhabi if good shops are available there.

What are things to consider when buying one - taking into consideration that it is for a conservative (Islamic) company what are things that a foreigner might not know? What lengths are they supposed to be? What are you supposed to wear underneath (do you have to wear something??)? Can they have design on them or do they have to be plain black?

I have no clue and am not a "fashionista" so any good advice would be appreciated.

Yesterday I was with a colleague inspecting a building in Dubai. We were supposed to check about tenants moving out after receiving eviction notices a year ago, so knocking on people's doors and asking them when they were vacating the building.

Anyway, the point is, my colleague knocked at a door and the girl (I think Egyptian) didn't want to open because he was a man. So I went, and she opened the door for me and somehow looked glad I was there. So I asked her whatever I needed, and she responded. The thing is, she had a huge bruise on half of her face, as if she had been badly beaten up a couple of days ago.

I didn't say anything to her and didn't do anything about it, but it stayed in my mind. I feel really bad, maybe she was stuck with an abusive husband and couldn't do / was scared to do anything about it?

What would you do in this situation? Would go back and just talk to her, ask if she needs help, or just mind my own business and not get involved? I don't really like being nosy, but sometimes I wonder if people are just too scared or shy to ask for help when they need it... I'm thinking that if I was in her situation, I might be too scared to say anything to anyone or be scared to take action against a husband but would appreciate someone to be there or at least try to understand me....

Am I being stupid? Should I just put this thing out of my mind or should I go talk to her?

I am planning to resign and move to another company also in the UAE.

I have heard from other employees, that when changing jobs, the company will inform the bank and that if there are any outstanding finances such as loans or credit cards, the bank account will be frozen, with the last salary and end of service benefits locked.

I was also planning to take 2 months off in between jobs to travel, but it seems like the passport is also blocked, until the new visa is issued or all loans are settled.

So my question is - does the bank really block all assets on the account? Does this mean I need to make sure I withdraw enough cash so that I can survive for a while or is there another way to settle this? Also, does the bank then use all the cash to pay off the loan / credit card or can I agree with them that since I am changing jobs (I have the offer in hand) they do not need to do that?

The other question is, if I do want to travel, can I? I am European so entry and exit to the UAE in itself should not be a problem, but would the company hold onto my passport because I have a loan? What is the usual way to address this? Ideally I was thinking of going away for 2 months before starting my job but it seems like this may not be possible. Any solutions?

Is it maybe possible to ask my current company if they could give me 2 months unpaid leave and then cancel my visa after the two months? Or alternatively get the new visa from the new company and ask them for 2 months?

I'm looking at buying a new car and I don't know what to buy.

I need something reliable (at the moment I have a Nissan Tiida that has never broken down, and I really don't want to have constant trouble with my car).

At the same time I want a car that is powerful and fun to drive (I tried an Alpina B6 once and that is my ideal drive - though slightly out of my budget).

I tried Mercedes, but I find them boring.

I don't have children, I don't need a big boot and my budget is up to AED 200,000 (or $55,000).

Any suggestions?

I know this is planned since a very long time, there is supposed to be a 131 km metro network connecting CBD to Reem, Mainland, Saadiyat, etc. But when is this actually happening? On the DOT's website it was supposed to start in 2011/12 and complete this year. Obviously that hasn't happened. So does anyone have an update on this project?

I have an employee who came in as a manager (with MBA, good previous work experience including in UAE, USA, Canada), however, now that I have been able to see her work on many things, I must say I ma very disappointed by the quality, and although I have guided her, explained what the expectations of quality are, I'm afraid to say she is overpaid and should be an analyst level rather than manager level. Even my assistant who is paid five times less than her does better work.

Therefore, I would like to demote her to analyst level and reduce the salary accordingly, however I am not sure how this works in terms of the UAE law. She has already been confirmed as an employee (her probation period was completed last month). I had already identified some problems with her and discussed them, and she promised to resolve them, unfortunately this has not been the case. The thing is that she has an MBA and a supposedly good track record within other companies, which had me somehow fooled - expecting better quality than what she's doing.

I'd rather increase my assistant's salary and reduce hers, if possible.

So the question is, does the UAE Labour law allow for this, and if it does, what is the correct procedure. Also, how would you suggest I approach the subject with her? Overall she's a quite pleasant person and I don't like being in the position of the "nasty" boss, but sometimes it is necessary...

I know the official story is that only government employees need to present a valid Tawtheeq approved tenancy contract when applying for their visa and to make sure they receive a housing allowance.

However, I have heard from more and more people, working in the private sector, that they were often also required to do the same. Does this mean that the new law on government employees is discretely being enforced on the private sector as well?

I've also spoken to people in Al Ain, where Tawtheeq requirement applies to everybody and hence is forcing those people previously living in Buraimi to move back across the border.

Does anybody have more specific details on this matter?

Thanks

I'm planning a trip to South Africa with my father in December, and initially we wanted to go to Bulawayo by car, around the 15th of December.

My father has now gotten back to me telling me that there was a lot of traffic around that time (Xmas) and that we would be stuck on the roads forever. That seems like a rather feeble excuse to me, but can someone please confirm if it is really that bad?

Are there other ways of reaching there?

Any suggestions will be very welcome.

Thank you!

I have been working with my company for over 3 years. The company is local but has been in the market for nearly 30 years in Abu Dhabi (UAE), has an excellent reputation and a good customer base.

Most of the time, I enjoy my work and I have a lot of freedom to choose how and what I do. The management is supportive, values my work and listens and implements a number of my inputs. My job is also relatively safe with them and my salary is good. On the downside, career progression is slow. The only way I can move up, is if my colleague in Dubai resigns. Bonus and increments are done on a discretionary basis, and usually (since 2009) have not been done. I have thought of changing jobs for something maybe slightly different, for better pay and interesting.

A recruitment company contacted me last week, and after 3 different interviews, the company they were recruiting for offered me a job and seem extremely keen in me joining as soon as possible. The position is the same as the one I have now, but the company is international, with strong links to the UK and Asia.

The company have only recently set up office in the Middle East and want me to head the ME research department based in Dubai. In mu current company I manage only Abu Dhabi & Qatar.

They have strong training programs in place, a better defined structure with a clearer career growth path, which is not the case in my company. The people I have met so far seemed very professional, organized and friendly. But than again, so is my team. This new company however requires me to do more business development / networking since they don't yet have a customer base, whereas in my current company I already have a good number of return clients. Working there would be a very good “line on my CV” as they say.

Salary wise, the offer is IDENTICAL to my current one, so I cannot decide based on this (although after me asking, they have added a clause that my salary would be increased by X amount by the end of the year, with further 6 monthly reviews).

I have to give them an answer today and I don't know which to choose. Can you please provide your personal opinions? Maybe something will help me decide...

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I feel that if I stay with my current company, a better opportunity might come in the near future. If I move to the new company, I will be working for a reputed international company, but it will require a lot of hard work for the same salary. On the positive side, it would allow me to move to Dubai which I would really like to do. But still, I’m not sure whether I should stay or go....

Please – any suggestions will be very welcome!

I have been working with my company for over 3 years. The company is local but has been in the market for nearly 30 years in Abu Dhabi (UAE), has an excellent reputation and a good customer base.

Most of the time, I enjoy my work and I have a lot of freedom to choose how and what I do. The management is supportive, values my work and listens and implements a number of my inputs. My job is also relatively safe with them and my salary is good. On the downside, career progression is slow. The only way I can move up, is if my colleague in Dubai resigns. Bonus and increments are done on a discretionary basis, and usually (since 2009) have not been done. I have thought of changing jobs for something maybe slightly different, for better pay and interesting.

A recruitment company contacted me last week, and after 3 different interviews, the company they were recruiting for offered me a job and seem extremely keen in me joining as soon as possible. The position is the same as the one I have now, but the company is international, with strong links to the UK and Asia.

The company have only recently set up office in the Middle East and want me to head the ME research department based in Dubai. In mu current company I manage only Abu Dhabi & Qatar.

They have strong training programs in place, a better defined structure with a clearer career growth path, which is not the case in my company. The people I have met so far seemed very professional, organized and friendly. But than again, so is my team. This new company however requires me to do more business development / networking since they don't yet have a customer base, whereas in my current company I already have a good number of return clients. Working there would be a very good “line on my CV” as they say.

Salary wise, the offer is IDENTICAL to my current one, so I cannot decide based on this (although after me asking, they have added a clause that my salary would be increased by X amount by the end of the year, with further 6 monthly reviews).

I have to give them an answer today and I don't know which to choose. Can you please provide your personal opinions? Maybe something will help me decide...

.

I feel that if I stay with my current company, a better opportunity might come in the near future. If I move to the new company, I will be working for a reputed international company, but it will require a lot of hard work for the same salary. On the positive side, it would allow me to move to Dubai which I would really like to do. But still, I’m not sure whether I should stay or go....

Please – any suggestions will be very welcome!

I downloaded lots of music to my S3 phone through various programs, however as soon as I connect my phone to the computer, all the files look as if they are empty and I don't find the music anywhere. As a matter of fact, all the files (even not music ones) look empty.

Does anybody have some advice on how I can make the music visible so I can download it to my computer?

Also, over the last few months, the reaction speed of the phone has decreased. It now takes several seconds before opening anything from the moment I touch the icon. Is there a way to improve the speed? I've already deleted unused applications but it hasn't changed anything....

Thank you!

I used to hate them (I used to like only big dogs) but now I have one since I live in an apartment and I love them.

I find them playful, fun, very active, love to run, sporty (which I am surprised about but my female never gets tired running for hours in the park) and don't bark a lot. Yes they're maybe not the most intelligent, but I don't need my dog to be intelligent. I think it's alright for a dog to be slightly stupid sometimes...

According to my partner, he says everybody hates Maltese and many people abandon them because they bark a lot, are stupid and messy. Is that true? I've never faced this problem with my dog (although potty training is still an ongoing issue).

Anyway, the reason I'm asking is just because my boyfriend keeps going on and on about how stupid and messy my dog is (which is not actually true) and he keeps saying that only stupid people like me would like a stupid dog like a Maltese. Apparently according to "his information" Maltese are one of the main breeds that get abandoned because of these reasons. Is that true? Because seriously he has a psychological problem himself, the dog is definitely no trouble...

Our Yorkshire female just got 3 puppies 1 month ago. They are all males, obviously cute, playful and we have no idea what names to give them.

The mother's name is Lucy and we have another dog (a Maltese female) called Maya. Best would be names that sound slightly different so the dogs don't get confused when they are called ;-)

Any suggestions will be appreciated! Thanks!

What was the problem. Did you think you would fail. What made you go through it? And do you feel stronger now? Or maybe you're still in the midst of a problem and still trying to figure out a solution? PLease share whatever you feel like, I think it is interesting to hear & learn from people's different experiences.

In light of the recent worldwide march against Monsanto (the company creating and selling genetically modified foods and pesticides), I would just like to hear your opinions,not just in America, but everywhere around the world.

Are you scared of genetically modified foods? What do you know about this? Do you know about how it has affected farmers, consumers? What are the positives and the negatives of genetically modified foods??

In light of the recent worldwide march against Monsanto (the company creating and selling genetically modified foods and pesticides), I would just like to hear your opinions,not just in America, but everywhere around the world.

Are you scared of genetically modified foods? What do you know about this? Do you know about how it has affected farmers, consumers? What are the positives and the negatives of genetically modified foods??

Just wondering. I know most people will react offended and say never. But I believe that everything has a price and most people would secretly agree with that.

I wouldn't do it for a small sum, but say someone would pay off all my loans + credit cards (which of course no one would do) in exchange for sex once , I would very much consider it. I'd be free of debt in exchange for a one night stand? I don't see why not...

What do you think?

I've just been to the Mediterranean and somehow felt that the sun on the beach is much stronger than in the Middle East and that you actually burn / tan much faster. I live in the Middle East, right on the Tropic of Cancer and temperatures get really high, however, I hardly burn here, even if at the beach.

So, just out of curiosity, I was wondering if this was just an impression or if there was an explanation to that.

Our toy Yorkshire gave birth to three cute puppies around 2 weeks ago. They seem healthy and the mother seems to be taking care of them properly, feeding them and licking them.

However since about 5 days I have not noticed the puppies eliminating stools or urine and I am wondering whether this is normal. If not, what can we do to help them?

Thanks